Mayor Mike Morgan gives upbeat assessment of the state of city of Camarillo

The city of Camarillo is financially "blessed," Mayor Mike Morgan told a gathering of community and business leaders Thursday in the annual State of the City address.

Speaking at the lunchtime event hosted by the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce at the Camarillo Ranch House Red Barn, Morgan said Camarillo is in the top 20 cities west of the Mississippi with a AAA bond rating.

Sales revenue is up, crime is down and the city is in great shape and fiscally sound, with a balanced budget and enough money in the bank to carry out capital projects slated for the current fiscal year, he said.

"Our sales tax is doing well," he told the gathering. "We're going to continue to streamline. We don't spend it unless we have it."

The general fund revenue for 2011-12 is projected to be about $30 million, just short of the peak of $33.4 million in 2007-08.

Sales tax is projected to exceed the 2007-08 peak by $400,000, bringing in a projected $12.7 million. Sales tax represents 42 percent of the general fund revenues with 26 percent of sales tax revenue coming from the outlet malls.

Four vacancies at the city will remain unfilled unless those positions are needed.

Morgan presented statistics showing that the crime rate dropped from 512 reported crimes between January and June 2010 to 482 between January and June 2011.

"We're No. 4 in the lowest crime rate in California for our size," he said.

He also made special mention of the success of the Camarillo Public Library and praised the large number of community events and programs offered throughout the city.

The only negative note sounded in Morgan's presentation was the continuing impact of the ongoing state budget crisis and the proposed elimination of redevelopment agencies.

The city's redevelopment agency will have to pay $1.7 million to the state in January 2012 to keep going with annual payments of $400,000 through 2042-43 unless an appeal lodged with the California Supreme Court by the California Redevelopment Association and the League of California Cities is successful.

Morgan said that the balanced budget contains $19.8 million that has been earmarked for capital projects in the coming year.

Work on the Springville interchange at Highway 101 north of the city is set to be completed in Spring 2012. The interchange is designed to facilitate commercial and residential land development and improve regional traffic flow.

"We're under budget and ahead of schedule," Morgan said proudly.

A new retail and dining space called Paseo Camino Real is planned on about 44 acres as part of the North Airport Specific Plan.

"It should be the prettiest area in town," said Morgan as he showed artist's rendering of the completed project. 'We're going to be proud of this center once it gets built."

Work also is continuing to extend the Calleguas Creek bike trail and construction is set to start in November to create dual left and right turn lanes from Adolfo Road to Santa Rosa Road.

"We're now in the process of paving Las Posas south. Most of the work will take place at night to avoid traffic congestion," said Morgan. "We have a 1.8 million grant from Edison to underground power lines from the library to Ponderosa Road north."

Morgan praised the way city officials had appealed the FEMA floodplain map reducing the number of properties required to have flood insurance by 4,000. He said the city continues to fight to have another 1,600 removed.

He outlined projects to redevelop parts of Camarillo Old Town. He gave an interactive presentation of a mixed commercial/residential center up to three stories in height planned for Ventura Boulevard between Oak Street and Cedar Drive and outlined redevelopment plans for Dizdar Park and the former fire station site.

"I am glad to see that things are still looking up and things are positive. The city has managed their finances and it looks good. You can't ask for much more than that," said Dennis Hardgrave of Development Planning Services, Inc.

Barbara Hatch, a real estate agent who also is president of the Soroptimist International of Camarillo, also welcomed the upbeat feel of the State of the City address.

"I think we're on the right track," she said. "It makes you proud to be a member of this community."